Azadi Briefing

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Abubakar Siddique, a senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

A new UN report says the Taliban is increasingly interfering in international aid operations in Afghanistan.

On October 22, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said aid agencies recorded more than 170 incidents of interference in September, which led to the suspension of 83 humanitarian projects.

The incidents in September represent a 31 percent increase compared to the previous month and a 66 percent rise compared to the same period last year, the OCHA said.

The OCHA said the Taliban detained or arrested nine aid workers and closed three facilities in September. The extremist group has also restricted the movement of aid and humanitarian workers.

“Interference in humanitarian activities, violence against humanitarian personnel, assets and facilities” were the most common incidents, said the report.

Why It’s Important: The Taliban appears keen to regulate and control international aid projects in Afghanistan, the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

The militant group’s interference in humanitarian projects is likely to impede the delivery of aid to millions of Afghans.

“What is troubling is when this interference actually obstructs aid from getting to Afghans who desperately need it,” said Ashley Jackson, the co-founder of the Center on Armed Groups.

Jackson said most aid organizations operating in Afghanistan are good at negotiating with the Taliban to ensure that they can function. But she said that “most aid workers will tell you that it is onerous and takes significant time and resources.”

What's Next: The Taliban is likely to continue to press for more control over aid operations.

But its interference and restrictions could prompt Western donors to cut their funding to international aid projects in Afghanistan.

The UN is already scrambling to attract funding for its $3 billion annul humanitarian appeal this year.

What To Keep An Eye On

Kazakhstan has signed a memorandum of understanding with the unrecognized Taliban government to increase bilateral trade to $3 billion annually.

The Taliban’s Commerce Minister, Nooruddin Azizi, and Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin signed the agreement on October 22.

Under the deal, Astana will build railway lines in Afghanistan linking Central Asia to Afghanistan’s southern and eastern regions, which border Pakistan.

Kazakhstan wants to eventually use Pakistani ports for exporting goods to the Middle East. It also wants Afghanistan’s trade with China to transit through its territory.

Astana will export new and used cars, grains, and wheat flour to Afghanistan while importing fresh and dried fruits.

Why It's Important: Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries have sought to expand their relations with the Taliban government, which is not recognized by any country in the world.

Many Central Asian states appear interested in developing economic ties. They are also worried about security threats emanating from Afghanistan, where dozens of extremist groups operate.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Abubakar Siddique, a senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

The United Nations and international rights groups have called for an investigation into reports that Iranian border guards fired on and killed Afghan migrants seeking to cross into Iran from Pakistan.

Local reports and rights groups say the incident occurred on October 13 in the Saravan district of Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, an impoverished and volatile region.

The Taliban government in Afghanistan says it has launched an investigation. Iranian officials have denied that the incident took place.

Haalvsh, a Baluch rights group, said gunshots and rocket-propelled grenades fired by Iranian forces killed dozens of Afghans. RFE/RL was unable to independently verify the group's claim.

Videos posted on social media appeared to show images of dozens of corpses wrapped in white cloth strewn on the road. RFE/RL was unable to independently verify the veracity of the video.

Taj Mohammad, a resident of the northern province of Balkh, said his cousin was killed in the incident. "We want international organizations and the government in Afghanistan to probe this incident," he told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi.

Jamaluddin, another resident of Balkh, said his son was killed in the incident. "The [Taliban] government does not ask and does nothing."

Why It's Important: Millions of Afghan migrants and refugees have fled to Iran -- either through Afghanistan or Pakistan -- since the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan government and the Taliban's seizure of power in 2021.

Many Afghans in Iran have complained of increasing violence and harassment at the hands of Iranian authorities, who have deported over 1 million Afghans in the past year.

Richard Bennett, the UN special human rights rapporteur in Afghanistan, said on X that he was "seriously concerned" about the reports and urged Iran to "investigate transparently."

"Clarity is urgently needed. These reports don't stand in isolation. More dignity and safety is needed for Afghans worldwide," he said on October 16.

What's Next: If the incident is confirmed, Iran is likely to face international pressure over its treatment of the estimated 4 million Afghans living in the Islamic republic.

The incident could also strain ties between the Taliban and Iran. The sides have engaged in deadly border clashes in recent years.

What To Keep An Eye On

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned of rapidly rising malnutrition among Afghan children.

The world's largest humanitarian network said on October 17 that clinics in the country were recording "alarming" cases of acute child malnutrition.

The cases are much more frequent among communities suffering from falling incomes, climate-induced natural disasters, and the consequences of decades of fighting, it said.

"The scale of malnutrition in our country is staggering," said Mohammad Nabi Burhan, secretary-general of the Afghan Red Crescent Society. "Severe acute malnutrition can be fatal if left untreated."

In May, Save the Children warned that three out of 10 -- or some 6.5. million Afghan children --will suffer from "crisis or emergency levels of hunger" this year.

According to the UN children agency, UNICEF, some 815,000 children from six months to 5 years old were admitted for "severe wasting," meaning their body parts had become weaker because of malnutrition.

Why It's Important: Afghanistan is the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

As international funding recedes, an increasing number of Afghan children are likely to die of malnutrition and diseases.

That's all from me for now.

Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.